What do I need to do in the first 7 days of getting a new kitten?
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- Prepare a quiet room with food, water, a litter box, shelter, scratches, and a sealed escape point.
- Make an appointment for a health check quickly. Especially when you don't know the history. and separated from the original cat until being evaluated
- Provide complete food for the kitten's age. Use the same food first if you know. Then gradually change the formula
- Do not pit new animals against each other. Start by separating areas, exchanging scents, and then seeing each other when both are calm.
- Monitor eating, drinking, urination, stool, breathing, and alertness daily. If it collapses quickly, go to an emergency.
On the first day, give the kitten a room to settle down.
Start with a small, quiet room. Keep doors, windows, and escape hatches closed. Place food, water, a litter box, shelter, cushion, scratches, and safe toys. By separating the food bowl and the pickup truck. Use a low-rimmed pickup truck and unscented sand as a starting point.
Do not drag him out of his hiding place or force him to carry him. Let your younger sibling be the one to approach you. Record whether you have started eating, drinking, urinating, and defecating. If you know the original food Use the same formula first to reduce making many changes at once.
Make an appointment for a health check within the first week.
Take the kitten for examination as soon as possible. Especially when you don't know the history. Prepare a vaccine book History of deworming, previous food, test results, and medications previously used. The doctor will examine you, weigh you, look for fleas, ticks, ear mites and parasites, and plan a stool test. FeLV and FIV were assessed according to age and risk.
There is no one-size-fits-all schedule for vaccines and deworming. The plan must be based on age, weight, history, risks, and product labels. and local laws Do not use dog medicine on cats or calculate the dosage yourself.
Food, water and litter box
Choose a food that is labeled complete and balanced for your kitten's age. There is no need to supplement with vitamins or minerals unless your doctor has prescribed it. Gradually change from the original formula. Place clean water in a calm spot. And don't use cow's milk instead of kitten food.
Scoop the pickup regularly and place it in an easily accessible spot. Multi-cat homes use the principle that the number of litter boxes is equal to the number of cats plus one. distributed at different points If the kitten makes a mistake, don't punish him. Make sure the litter box is clean, easily accessible, and free of illnesses.
Introduce your cat gradually.
When the health history is not clear Separate space and resources first. Start exchanging scents through the fabric or mattress. Then they could see each other through the partition when they were both calm. Then meet for a short supervised time with snacks or play.
If there is staring, chasing, slapping, growling, or if one party tries to escape Go back to the previous step. Don't bring them face to face and don't let them fight. The introduction may take several days or weeks.
Close risky points in the home
Remove whole lilies, pollen, and water from vases from home. Keep medicines, cleaners, insecticides, rat poison, and dog flea products out of your reach. Keep rope, thread, ribbons, rubber bands, and small objects that can be swallowed.
Inspect screens, balconies, windows, washing machines, reclining sofas, and recesses before use. A microchip helps connect a kitten to its owner when scanned, but it is not a GPS. Your phone number must be registered and kept up to date.
Symptoms that should not be seen overnight
Go to emergency immediately if you have trouble breathing, open your mouth to breathe, pale, purple, or blue gums, collapse, have seizures, are unresponsive, have a lot of blood, have a swollen and painful stomach, or can't urinate. Or suspect that the dog has eaten medicine, toxins, lilies, and flea medicine.
Small kittens can quickly become dehydrated and energy hungry if they become weak, collapse quickly, or have persistent vomiting or diarrhea. or refusing many meals Call your veterinarian the same day. The number of hours should not be judged instead of age, weight, and co-morbidities.
Frequently asked questions
How long must I separate a kitten from my original cat?
There is no fixed number of days. A health check should be done first when the history is not clear. Then move each step according to their body language. Some houses use it for a few days. Some homes need several weeks.
There is no vaccine book yet. Do I have to start all over again?
Don't decide for yourself. Take the information you have to your veterinarian for evaluation. Vaccination plans are based on age, risk factors, reliable history, vaccine labeling, and laws.
Can kittens eat adult cat food?
The main food should be a complete formula for the kitten's age. Because they need energy and nutrients to grow unlike adult cats. If you must change the formula, do so gradually.
Can a microchip track location?
No, a microchip, not a GPS, will help identify someone when they are scanned. Therefore, owner information must be registered and updated when changing numbers or addresses.
Sources: www.vet.cornell.edu · wsava.org · www.vet.cornell.edu · capcvet.org · catvets.com · ebusiness.avma.org · www.vet.cornell.edu